LONDON

At least 17 police officers were injured and six people arrested as rioting and disorder continued for a second consecutive night in the Northern Ireland town of Ballymena, police said Wednesday.

Officers were targeted with petrol bombs, bricks, fireworks, and masonry, particularly in the Clonavon Terrace area, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

Police used water cannon and Attenuating Energy Projectiles to disperse crowds after bins were set on fire and missiles thrown in Carrickfergus, Newtownabbey, and Sunnylands.

Five people were arrested on suspicion of riotous behavior. A sixth was held in Newtownabbey on suspicion of disorderly conduct.

“The mindless violence we have witnessed over the past two nights in Ballymena is deeply concerning and utterly unacceptable,” Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said. “These criminal acts not only endanger lives but also risk undermining the ongoing criminal justice process.”

The PSNI confirmed that some officers required hospital treatment.

Homes and businesses were damaged and vehicles set alight, echoing scenes from Monday evening, when 15 officers were injured, several buildings vandalized, and four houses torched.

The unrest erupted hours after two 14-year-old boys appeared in court in Coleraine charged with attempting to rape a teenage girl in County Antrim.